VIDEO – Walk on Dirk van Duijvenbode; Over the Top or Winning Tactic?

Dirk van Duijvenbode has one of the most distinctive ‘walk on’ acts in PDC darts. The Dutchman uses an upbeat, hardcore dance cut called Apocalypse and has a frantic walk on process involving slapping as many fans’ hands as possible.

Upon reaching the stage he performs a manic rave-like dance routine which the crowd seem to love. Judging from his 2017 results, it’s doing Dirk’s game no harm at all!

When DumpertTV asked to comment, Van Duijvenbode claimed “I get relaxed from it. Before a match, I have a lot of stress. And if you get up then you’ll get rid of it all.” Although a little more extreme, it can be seen as similar to the approach used by Peter Wright. The burning of excess adrenaline excites the crowd and assists some players in settling down quickly for match itself.

Dartsnews.com asked a UK darts coach for his view. “It’s totally understandable – looking at Dirk before games he looks very nervous, and this walk on could take some of that away and allow him to start enjoying himself.”

Don’t be surprised if you see more and more unusual walk on routines appearing throughout the PDC. As the global popularity of darts increases, the style, and variety, of players’ entrances may become one of the most talked about elements of the game.